New England Patriots Wide Receiver Expected to Play on TNF

The New England Patriots will have their leading receiver on the field tonight for their pivotal AFC East clash against the Buffalo Bills. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports wide receiver Jakobi Meyers will play on Thursday Night Football despite being listed as questionable with a shoulder injury.

Patriots’ WR Jakobi Meyers, listed as questionable for tonight’s game due to a shoulder injury, is expected to play vs. the Bills, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 1, 2022

Meyers injured his shoulder in the Patriots' Week 12 Thanksgiving 33-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The injury kept him out for much of Thursday's game, but he made the most of his 16 snaps, nabbing three of his four targets for 62 yards.

With 571 yards in nine appearances this season, Meyers appears poised to lead the Patriots in receiving for the third straight season. At 63.4 yards per game and 9.2 yards per target, he's also on pace for a career year at just the right time. Meyers will hit unrestricted free agency following this season and could be in line for a contract in the range of $18 million per year, similar to the deals Christian Kirk and Diontae Johnson signed earlier this year.

Meyers initially joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He quickly emerged as a promising underneath target for the team, snatching 26 receptions for 359 yards as a rookie in quarterback Tom Brady's final year with the team. He has totalled 2525 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 55 appearances with the Patriots.